One night Hunch came in a little earlier than usual, without knocking, and found Jess bending over a paper with some sort of colored illustrations. She slipped it into a drawer as he entered the room. “What you reading?” he asked. “Oh, nothing.” “Yes, you was. I saw it.” He laughed and started to open the drawer, but she stood against it. “Please don't look.” “Don't you tell me all your secrets?” “Oh, well, look if you want to.” “I don't, unless you want me to, Jess.” She opened the drawer and drew out the paper. It was illustrated with plans. “What's the matter with this?” he asked. “What you afraid of?” “Nothing. Sometimes I think it's kind of fun to pick out the houses I'd like--just for fun, you know.” “Which one do you like?” “Oh, I don't know. I was just thinking that maybe some day we'd------” She stopped and turned away. Hunch thought she was joking, and he took her shoulders and gently turned her around. She was crying. “Why--what's the matter, Jess?” She buried her face on his coat. Hunch could not follow her sudden changes. Now he looked down at her hair, puzzled, waiting for her to explain. Finally he said, “You've got to tell me what's the matter, Jess.” “I was only thinking--one of the girls said--said you didn't love me, John, she said---” Hunch tried to break in, but she went on, “you weren't going to--that we'd never get married. And you--you never said anything about getting married, John.” Hunch looked over her head at the wall. He could not tell her that he had not allowed himself to think about it, that he had been drifting steadily farther from the thought of it. “And I thought maybe you'd speak about it, and we'd talk about a house--and I wanted that--that one on the front page with the shingles on the front. It's a beautiful house, John.” Hunch stood silent for a long time. “Why don't you say something? Oh, John, it isn't true, is it? You do love me, John?” “No,” said Hunch, “it ain't true. We'll be married just as soon as you're ready, Jess.” She did not look up for a long time. When she did, her eyes were still wet. “Don't you think it would be kind of fun, John, to talk about the house?” They went over the plans, sitting on the sofa by the front window, and talked out every detail. Hunch agreed with nearly all of Jess's suggestions, even to the grate in the front room, an expensive feature. When they were out in the entry, and Hunch was putting on his ulster, Jess stood before him with her back against the door. “Say, do you want me to tell you something?” “Course.” “Oh, I--don't you laugh, John, it ain't funny. It's mean. It's what somebody said. She said if a man really loves a girl, he gives her something so folks 'll know--like a ring or something.” She laughed nervously. “And I just told her that I wasn't engaged on her account, and if she thought I ought to wear a ring she needn't look at me, that's all. She was awful mad.” Hunch was silent.